Semsales

Semsales
Coat of arms
Semsales
Location of Semsales
Coordinates: 46°34′N 6°56′E / 46.567°N 6.933°E / 46.567; 6.933Coordinates: 46°34′N 6°56′E / 46.567°N 6.933°E / 46.567; 6.933
Country	Switzerland
Canton	Fribourg
District	Veveyse
Government
• Mayor	Syndic
Area
• Total	29.36 km2 (11.34 sq mi)
Elevation	866 m (2,841 ft)
Population (Dec 2015)
• Total	1,414
• Density	48/km2 (120/sq mi)
Postal code	1623
SFOS number	2336
Surrounded by	Châtel-Saint-Denis, Gruyères, Haut-Intyamon, La Verrerie, Maracon (VD), Saint-Martin, Sâles, Vaulruz
Website	www.semsales.ch SFSO statistics

Semsales is a municipality in the district of Veveyse in the canton of Fribourg in Switzerland.

Semsales is first mentioned about 1100 as septem salis.

Semsales has an area of 29.36 km² (11.34 sq mi). Of this area, 13.68 km² (5.28 sq mi) or 46.6% is used for agricultural purposes, while 14.14 km² (5.46 sq mi) or 48.2% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 1 km² (0.39 sq mi) or 3.4% is settled (buildings or roads), 0.14 km² (35 acres) or 0.5% is either rivers or lakes and 0.43 km² (0.17 sq mi) or 1.5% is unproductive land.

Of the built up area, housing and buildings made up 1.5% and transportation infrastructure made up 1.6%. Out of the forested land, 45.3% of the total land area is heavily forested and 2.4% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 5.7% is used for growing crops and 20.3% is pastures and 20.4% is used for alpine pastures. All the water in the municipality is flowing water.

The municipality is located in the Veveyse district, at the foot of the Fribourg pre-alpine mountains (Niremont, Les Alpettes). It lies along an important transportation axis including; the Bulle-Châtel-Saint-Denis road, the A12 motorway and the Bulle-Palézieux rail line. It consists of the village of Semsales and, since 1 January 1968, the former municipality of La Rougève.

The blazon of the municipal coat of arms is Azure two Columns issuant from as many Mounts all Argent encircled with seven Mullet of Five three and two and two.

Semsales has a population (as of December 2015^[update]) of 1,414. As of 2008^[update], 10.4% of the population are resident foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years (2000–2010) the population has changed at a rate of 13%. Migration accounted for 9.8%, while births and deaths accounted for 1.3%.